Hope and Loss

In this life, I feel at times like I have lost so much. So many dreams and ambitions, so many things that were once mine and are no longer mine. So many things that I might think of as my right as a human being. But at this point, my thoughts need revision. Truthfully, I have no right to anything physical and therefore have lost nothing.

What do I have a right to? A job, a house, food, healthcare, friendship, marriage, children, a standard of living? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. None of those things, nor anything else quantified in the physical world, do I have a right to. Rather, anything which I aspire to attain or have been blessed with is a gift from God (James 1:17, Matt 7:11). These were not mine to begin with, and I have no claim, no argument, no right to any of it. The difference is in attitude. Do you have an attitude of entitlement or an attitude of thankfulness for the multitude of blessings in your life? I can tell you that the latter is the correct one, though I do not possess it often enough.

Have you experienced some recent setbacks? So have I. And I have experienced even more setbacks as I tally them up from years past. But at the same time, if I will allow myself to focus on the positive, I find countless blessings. And as I focus on the setbacks, I am struck with the realization that the things that I “lost” were what I perceived to be good for me—things that I wanted and wanted badly. Things that even society as a whole would commend me for aspiring toward and would consider them “rights.” But society as a whole is wrong here. I have no claim on what my life should be like tomorrow or in 50 years—who am I to choose who I will be, what I will do, and whom I will know? The truth is that I must rid myself of those thoughts of selfishness and let God do the choosing and choreographing.

So what is disappointment? What is false hope? I have hoped for many things that just did not come to fruition. I have worked hard for these things and have done everything within my human power to attain them, and I have even consulted God through prayer that it might be done according to His will. Romans 5:5 says that “hope does not disappoint” (also see Isaiah 49:23). I have hoped in those things and I have been disappointed. So something has to give.

I am actually convicted by the very words I just wrote: “I have hoped in those things and I have been disappointed.” “I have hoped in those things.” “…in those things.” You see, my hope is not to be “in those things,” my hope is to be in God, His divine and perfect will, and in His perfect love for me and you. This is the hope that does not disappoint which is referred to in the Bible. My focus has been on physical things and not on God’s purpose. My focus was as such: “This is my will that I think can be used for Your will, God.” Rather, it should be “I am committed to your good and perfect will, God, that I may conform mine and change my entire list of desires, abandoning all that I consider good in my own flawed judgment.” From "My Utmost for His Highest," by Oswald Chambers: “If our hopes are being disappointed just now, it means that they are being purified. There is nothing noble the human mind has ever hoped for or dreamed of that will not be fulfilled.” Noble—in the purest sense of the word.

Instead of questioning God in our disappointment, how powerful is our growth in relationship with God when we run to Him, beckoning Him to set us straight so that we might not bear the pain of our own poor judgment and separation from His holy, perfect plan. When our desires are His desires, our hope is His hope, and all things we hope for we will see.

Knowledge is not the answer. Obedience, patience, trust, and love for our Father are the answer. If we have these things, we quickly realize that knowledge is inconsequential. I caught myself praying and saying to God, “Lord, if I only knew…” If I only knew exactly what He wanted here and there…if I only just knew right now, I could go ahead and start out in the right direction. If I only had that knowledge! But as I was thinking that, I realized it was in error. First of all, we do know. We have the Bible, His Word, to guide us unto all things that please and displease Him. We can apply those things this very day, in this very moment. And beyond that, for specific events in the future, not only could we not handle knowledge of the future, whether partial or full, but that knowledge actually does not achieve the purpose. Upon receiving such knowledge, my focus undoubtedly would turn to myself and how I would be affected, instead of God's glory. And almost undoubtedly, I would attempt to change or at least tweak just one little thing. Even if my motives were altruistic, attempting to change it would defy the purpose of my asking and receiving the knowledge from God. Was my request not to have foresight in order to obey? It was, and if obedience is a key issue—oh, and it is—then let’s examine it: Obedience, through patience, trust and love for God requires absolutely no foreknowledge of any specific events. Therefore my request for knowledge in order to obey…is void. My request must instead be for patience, trust, and love shared between me and My Father.

In the end, I have lost nothing. Everything I have, everything I am, everything I have experienced…if there is any good in any of it, it is a gift from God. I have nothing that was not given to me and have lost nothing that was my own, even my very life itself (1 Cor 6:19-20, Job 10:12). I am an eternal being, yet a temporary tenant in a temporary vessel, whose purpose is serving and glorifying my God. The only true loss would be losing the opportunity to serve, praise, glorify, and mutually love our Creator…and even that is a gift, one I am thankful for, and one that I hope to have forever. This is hope that will never disappoint.

The Cure

Loved Ones,

I have not always had a relatable answer to those who might ask me why I witness. And that has led to timidity. But there is a good answer that I think most people will relate to, even those who are not yet saved:

“Why do you witness? Why do you feel compelled to share your faith?”

These are questions that I have heard asked of those who actively share Christ with those around them. And often the question is not good-hearted…often it is asked with a tone of annoyance or even resentment. Why many of the world assume this attitude is a good topic for conversation, but right now I am more focused on our response to the question.

Consider Tim Tebow. It’s funny that at the mention of his name, if you know about him and who he is, you probably just had a reaction inside. If you don’t like the Florida Gators, that’s one thing (I am not a UF fan by any stretch of the imagination). But most have a reaction because he openly professes Christianity and seeks to share it with so many. He and other collegiate football players can be seen on TV on Saturdays with scriptural references on their eye-black strips below their eyes. I think that is awesome. I have heard that on Saturday, the number one Googled Bible scripture is the one on Tim Tebow’s face. If that’s true, it is absolutely awesome. Whatever the impact, people are seeking God’s Word through open and public witnesses such as these.

But many have a great disdain for Tim Tebow. I have heard many say almost these exact words: “He is a great college football player, I’ll give him that, but I can’t stand him because he pushes his faith on other people. If there’s a place for that, it’s not on the football field.” First of all, what is “pushing your faith” on someone? I believe Tim and others share their faith and the pushing that the individual feels as a result is the Holy Spirit!

I wish I was personally asked the question, “Why do you feel like you need to witness to me?” Even if the attitude is combative—because that would mean that I was actively witnessing. But nevertheless, I have considered the question. Why do I feel like I need to witness? The truth is this:

Consider the following situation: you and your entire family have cancer, for which there is no known cure. You are all dying together. One day you happen upon the cure. You did not create the cure, and likely someone else shared it with you, but you have happened upon the cure and you are cured—cancer removed! What do you do next? Certainly, you will share it immediately with everyone you know, especially your family who is dying of the cancer! How can you keep that to yourself? You can’t, and you share it with them because you love them and want them to have life.

The truth is that every single one of us on earth does have a cancer. This cancer is sin—separation from God that results in death to our souls. We are doomed without a cure. But one day, someone shared the Cure with me and I am free of it! God is the Good Doctor who discovered/created the Cure…but we have to go to see the Doctor to receive the Cure. He is there with it, beckoning us just to come to Him to receive it. But how will we go to the Doctor if we don’t first realize that we need to? We must first realize that we have the disease, then we must realize that there is a Cure, and we must recognize Who holds that Cure. Finally, we must go to the Doctor to receive the Cure—and then it’s all over—we’re cured. The Doctor Himself even comes right to us, but we must still allow Him to administer the shot that will cure us—He has done all the work and we simply have to accept Him and His Cure.

The example above contains 4 steps. Recognize your sin, recognize that you can be saved from sin, recognize that God through Jesus Christ is your salvation, and finally accept Him and go right to Him for forgiveness. The Cure is Jesus Christ, His willing and sacrificial death for us on the cross, and His resurrection and defiance of death as we know it. This is possible through His unending, boundless, perfect love for us, His creation.

If you have not experienced that yet, I encourage you to do it right away and accept the wonderful cure available to you. If you have experienced Him, you know just how amazing it is. How can we keep that to ourselves? How can we not share with everyone we meet? We are all part of the same family, after all. Let's help bring our family to God for the cure of salvation.

Amendment (4/23/10) - Great verse that sums up our approach: 1 Peter 3:15 - "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."

Should I?

To those dear to me,

It occurred to me this evening that there may be a better approach to the question, “Should I _____?” The blank can be filled by just about anything and everything we make a decision on daily, from the salient to the mundane. “Should I go there?” “Should I do this?” Sometimes the answer is clear—the thing in question either specifically violates a known command from God or specifically obeys a known command. Other times the details really blur our vision. For some things, we really struggle to easily grasp whether or not it is God’s will. I know that one day, whether sooner or later, it will become apparent what His will is or was for that thing…but what do I do today, especially when doing nothing is actually an action itself?

Well, I had one of those moments tonight. Actually, I have them quite often. As I carefully reviewed my motives and all the thoughts going through my head, something popped in there: “Will it take my attention away from You, God? Will I worship and serve You through it?” hmmmm…

If the answer is “Yes, it will divert my attention away from you,” or “No, I will not be doing it in worship and servitude,” then we have received our answer—“No, do not do that.”

The epiphany goes deeper, though, because we can immediately get caught up in the longer term view. In answer to the question posed above, “Well, I don’t know about doing this specific thing tonight, but I can see how in the future You could use it to keep my attention on You and to worship and serve You.” Be careful here. First of all, this can be the road to compromise and self-deceiving delusion. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end is the way of death.” – Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 (Interesting that the exact same phrase is written twice!). But beyond that, the statement could also actually be correct—it may very well be what God wants you to do, especially because of its long-term impact. But how do we distinguish between those situations? Well, let’s not just trust our own whims, emotions, and logical judgments—if we do, I can assure you that we will stray from what God wants us to do. Instead, I think we ask the same question, but we make sure to focus on this very moment: “Will it take my attention away from you right now, in the short term, or long term? Will I worship and serve you through it, right now and through the very end?”

I think that may aid in our decision making. We can do anything and everything that we do with God and with an attitude of worship and servitude. Even when we can justify a long-term gain, God’s path includes no deviation during the process. God’s preferred will for our lives includes worshipping, serving, and keeping our attention on Him in the long run, yes, but also in the immediate moment and every moment in between.

Now, for the times where we carefully consider yet honestly can’t answer the question—when we’re not sure if we will worship or serve or glorify God by taking that action—instead of being paralyzed with fear and inaction, we may be empowered by the question. At that point, instead of aiding our determination of what to do, the question becomes a reminder to commit to serve and worship Him through it. The bottom line is this: whether or not you first conceived of the idea with service and worship in mind, if you decide to do it, do it with glorification of our Father as its purpose and resolve to be mindful of Him as you do it. If you do this, you have answered the question that you did not think you could answer! The result is pursuing and living God’s preferred will.

If you have no application of what I’m saying, then disregard it and please do not let it confuse you. However, I think many of us find ourselves in this situation. I know I do often.

Easter

1. God is perfect. We are not. Heaven is a place for perfect things--it is the essence of being with God. No trace of sin can enter Heaven, and we have forfeited our entry upon sinning even once.
2. God loves us and seeks to bring us to Heaven with Him. He created us to exist with Him perfectly and gave us the power of mutual love by allowing us to choose Him.
3. Jesus, fully God, took on a human body and walked a perfect life. He then volunteered his life for us--a perfect sacrifice, a perfect man, a perfect God, brutally tortured and finally killed with a clear purpose: to save us.
4. In Jesus' death, he proclaimed that he has taken on our sin, our guilt, and bore the punishment for it in our place. God the Father has sent Him for this purpose and approves of this perfect sacrifice once and for all men and all sins. Jesus says, "I will pay the price for you, so that you may come to Heaven with Us." (paraphrase)
5. Our choice now is simply to believe in Jesus and admit that we've strayed. When we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are accepted and our slate of sin wiped clean.
6. We can now live with a perfect God in a perfect Heaven forever. Given the alternative, the choice seems clear.

Relationship with God: Courtship

As part of the singles demographic, I often get asked about dating or finding that special someone, especially by those in the married demographic. For those of us still single and out of college, this is a frequently raised subject, sometimes by ourselves, but often by others—and many of us get frustrated and wearied by the constant attention that we often feel is negative or annoying. Tonight I was out with several married couples…inevitably, my singleness became the topic of conversation. Sometimes it can be annoying, and sometimes it is actually flattering because they consider you approved for their friends. I realized that I hadn’t been seriously dating for quite a while and that I didn’t feel the familiar longing for dating that I had in the past. Singles, you know what I’m talking about…each of us has a fuse, some of us 1 week, some of us 1 year, but a timespan for which we haven’t been dating where we become alerted to our desire to be dating—without even thinking of a specific individual, we just desire to be dating someone we find appealing. But that feeling was more absent in me than expected, given the time that I have been single. And after some thought, I realize it is because God’s Word has taken that place in my life as of late.

Courtship is a concept that I am very fond of. I feel that courtship is really the only best approach to dating. Why are we dating, except to find someone that we should spend our lives with?—if you had the choice of dating your future wife or husband right now or dating several other people before finally dating your spouse—wouldn’t you choose just to do away with the other distractions, bad experiences, and destructive temptations that the others can bring? I think most would agree that it would be better to give ourselves to our spouses only and sooner rather than later. In a perfect world, each of us would court, marry, and even date only our one life-long spouse. Having never dated anyone but our spouse is impractical for most, including myself, because…well, it isn’t a perfect world and we don’t have perfect foresight and knowledge! The point is that when we enter our next relationship, I think courtship is the proper approach.

Courtship is the pursuit of another with the exploration and intent of life-long relationship. In most cases, this refers to dating and marriage. However, I think the broader definition has another application: our relationships with God. Think about it: what do you do if you are dating someone? You spend time with them, you share experiences, you share your most intimate thoughts and questions, you talk with them several times a week (or even daily), you give them your time and attention when you feel emotionally uplifted in doing so, and you give them time and attention at times when you don’t feel as emotionally driven…ultimately, you spend time and effort getting to know them better, and they are a priority. And you do so because you have a genuine interest in them, and they in you. I think this is a beautiful picture of our relationship with God, certainly as it should be. Perhaps we should look at our relationships with God and start courting Him—He is already pursuing us full-time and forever (Rom 8:35-39, 2 Chron 16:9).

If you’re single, perhaps focusing on your courtship with God will help ease your anxieties of singleness. You may one day look back at those brief single years (they may not feel brief at the time, but in the context of a lifetime, it may very well be brief) and cherish the growth of your relationship with God because you had more time and focus on Him (1 Cor 7:32-35). As we begin to lose focus on our current circumstances (i.e. singleness), we will find ourselves focused on God, our relationship with Him, and living out His purpose for us. Guess what? It’s at those times that we will have peace instead of anxiety, joy instead of depression, patience instead of frustration, and love instead of selfishness. And guess what else? In those times we will be more in line with God’s preferred will for our lives, His perfect plan, and if we are to be married, we are more on track to finding that special someone than ever. For those of us who have longer to wait, then we have still found God’s best for our lives in this very moment—relationship with Him lived out in our daily lives.

For those who are dating or even those who are married: Courtship of God is just as valid as ever. There is no limit to the courtship and relationship we can have with God. The paragraphs above may allude to a spiritual advantage, due to more time to focus on God during singleness—this is not the main point. The single person has an opportunity to channel that “loneliness” and find purpose through it. But courtship of God is never ending—it is by the definition given here “the pursuit of another with the exploration and intent of life-long relationship.” Lifelong. That means that the relationship never stops growing and deepening with time. There is no limit to it, it is boundless—our relationship with God as tall, wide, and deep as His love for us—perfect, unquantifiable, and eternal (Eph 3:17-19). And marriage does offer a unique perspective that can deepen our relationship with God in a new dimension.

So this week (and every week thereafter) let’s commit to renewed courtship of God. Let’s apply what we know about loving other humans, especially that special one that we love or will love more than any other, to our relationship with God. Let’s commit to:

- Spend time with Him
- Share your daily experiences with Him
- Share your most intimate thoughts and questions with Him
- Talk with Him several times a week (even daily, even constantly – 1 Thess 5:17, Eph 6:18)
- Give Him your time and attention when you are emotionally moved
- Give Him your time and attention when you are not emotionally driven
- Make the effort to get to know Him better
- Make Him a priority

Through this I believe you will find a genuine interest in Him, especially as you begin to realize His genuine interest in you. He loves you more than any other—more than you’ve ever loved someone and more than anyone ever has or will love you. You and our fellow Christians are His bride (Eph 5:2-32, 2 Cor 11:2, Rev 21:1-4)—courtship is not just appropriate, it is essential.